What the Public think of "Fat" Strongmen.

[Taekwondo Guy]

if your really terry hollands (same avatar as muscletalk)

welcome

[surferph34]

Originally Posted by Terry_hollands

Something like that!!! LOL

And I sent him a pm saying that the offer wasn't to see how fat I was but to help him get his lifts up somewhere where they should be for a 16 stone man I mean jesus my girlfriend can deadlift nearly as much as him and she's 9 and a half stone

Welcome to the boards Terry.

Surfer

[MindFreak]

Im new here and people may think this is an odd first post but i wanted to weigh in because me and my buddy were having this same discussion a few days ago. i want to preference this by letting everyone know this is only my opinion. not saying im right not saying im wrong. just my opinion and not intended to offend anyone. (although i dont think it will). the last thing i want to do is offend someone on my first post lol. but for me it is all about how i look. my buddy is as strong as an ox but his psychique leaves alot to be desired. the whole reason i work out and stay in shape is to get girls. i admit it. and i do pretty well. i cant lift nearly as much as my buddy but i look MUCH better than him and i do MUCH better in the dating department because of it. basically what i am saying is that i would rather have a great psychique but cant lift huge amounts of weight than have a not so great psychique (or fat like my buddy) but can bench 400lbs. in a nutshell to me its about how good you look not how strong you are (my buddy says he would rather be stronger and doesnt care how he looks). just wanted to see what everyone's opinion is on this.

(also if I should have started a new thread on this i apologize. i kind of thought it would be appropriate here)

[UK Lifter]

First of all if you are the real Terry Hollands i'd like to congratulate you on your great performances at the UK Strongest Man and the World Strongest Man! Best performance by a UK strongman for many years, not forgetting Adrian Rollinsons great performance in 2004.

I always get frustrated when Glenn Ross wins UK Strongest Man because although i can't help but respect the guy for his static strength he just can't cut it against the best in the world as a strength athlete. Every year he wins the UK he does worse in the WSM than guys who placed below him in the UK. Guys like Andy Raynes, Rob Dixon and Adrian Rollinson have all done better in WSM despite losing to Glenn in the UK Strongest Man. I agree he should move over to powerlifting as those events are what he seems to excel at.

As far as strongmen being fat is concerned i think it's ingrained in us from when we're kids that strong guys should look muscular with small waists. Look at all the superheroes in the comics and ancient sculptures of Hercules for example. How popular would He-Man be if he had a 60 inch waist? You can't blame the general non-lifting public for having this view. I just think it's hard for the general public to see guys the size of Glen Ross as athletes because he carries that much excess bodyweight that you can't really see any muscle at all although obviously it is there. He just looks like he wouldn't be very healthy, which is why people can't identify with Ronnie Coleman and guys like that. Most of them are at deaths door, a lot of pro bodybuilders are dropping like flies at premature ages! It comes down to being healthy in my opinion and if a sport APPEARS to be unhealthy it starts to lose respect from people.

I personally thought Terry was very fit, he did the barrel loading quicker than Jesse Marunde who was breathing far heavier afterwards. It's obviously Terry's natural size, i'm just glad i never played rugby against him!!!

Sorry about the long rant, just my 2 pennies worth.

[jproudj]

Glenn Ross must have a sweet ROM on the bench.

[Stoneman Sam]

Me and some friends were discussing this, how did you train for barrell loading out of a LAKE?

I know that the majority of the other lifts the apparatuss' are realtively easy to find or whatever, but did they give you advance warning about that event or what??

Also, was that you swimming around the big rock in the background cheering the other guys on?


Edit: I don't watch WSM too much, riiiggghhhttt.

[Terry_hollands]

Originally Posted by Stoneman Sam

Me and some friends were discussing this, how did you train for barrell loading out of a LAKE?

I know that the majority of the other lifts the apparatuss' are realtively easy to find or whatever, but did they give you advance warning about that event or what??

Also, was that you swimming around the big rock in the background cheering the other guys on?


Edit: I don't watch WSM too much, riiiggghhhttt.

I didn't train for any of the events at WSM apart from if I did them in competition. I've not been competing very long so I thought it was more important to get experience from comps than spending loads of time practising the events.

We were told about 1-1 and a half months before the comp but I was competing virtually every week during August. I actually did both Britains Strongest Man and UK's Strongest Man less than a week before I went to WSM. I think me and Jimmy Marku were the only people who did reasonably well at both. Certainly now feel that I'm a lot more experienced and will probably do less competitions this year, I did 17 from April-December last year.

It was Don Pope that was swimming around in the pool!!

As far as the UK's is concerned Although Glenn is very strong he actually organises the UK's as well as it being all of his equipment, so he gets to choose all the events. Without sounding like I'm bad-mouthing him if I was choosing all the events and could put all my best events in the final he wouldn't even get close to me. I'm not making exuses for not winning the UK's because Glenn is statically one of the strongest guys in the world but strongman has never been about just static strength. All of the mobility based events were in the heats and I beat him on virtually every one, we were equal on the log but he beat me on the squat and the crucifix hold, apart from that I beat him on all the others.

[POWERJIM]

Originally Posted by Terry_hollands

As far as the UK's is concerned Although Glenn is very strong he actually organises the UK's as well as it being all of his equipment, so he gets to choose all the events. Without sounding like I'm bad-mouthing him if I was choosing all the events and could put all my best events in the final he wouldn't even get close to me. I'm not making exuses for not winning the UK's because Glenn is statically one of the strongest guys in the world but strongman has never been about just static strength. All of the mobility based events were in the heats and I beat him on virtually every one, we were equal on the log but he beat me on the squat and the crucifix hold, apart from that I beat him on all the others.

Its very unfair and unsportsman like for someone whos also competing to choose events, how come Glenn Ross is allowed to do this anyway Terry?

[CubanChick]

Now that I have seen the CubanBull.. I have a whole new outlook.

[Terry_hollands]

Originally Posted by UK Lifter

As far as strongmen being fat is concerned i think it's ingrained in us from when we're kids that strong guys should look muscular with small waists. Look at all the superheroes in the comics and ancient sculptures of Hercules for example. How popular would He-Man be if he had a 60 inch waist? You can't blame the general non-lifting public for having this view. I just think it's hard for the general public to see guys the size of Glen Ross as athletes because he carries that much excess bodyweight that you can't really see any muscle at all although obviously it is there. He just looks like he wouldn't be very healthy, which is why people can't identify with Ronnie Coleman and guys like that. Most of them are at deaths door, a lot of pro bodybuilders are dropping like flies at premature ages! It comes down to being healthy in my opinion and if a sport APPEARS to be unhealthy it starts to lose respect from people.

I think you've hit the nail on the head as I posted on that other site people don't take into consideration someones natural bone structure (and yes I know this is an excuse alot of fat people use). When people meet me in the flesh they don't say jesus he's fat isn't he they say jesus he's massive, I think most people think that someone is strong if they look like a bodybuilder. I've been lean in the past and still was very thick waisted etc.

I could never look like a bodybuilder even if I wanted too (which I don't) as I said on that other site with waist and hips as wide as mine I'd have to have shoulders about six foot wide.

[BiggerGuns=LongerDrives]

Originally Posted by Terry_hollands

I think you've hit the nail on the head as I posted on that other site people don't take into consideration someones natural bone structure (and yes I know this is an excuse alot of fat people use). When people meet me in the flesh they don't say jesus he's fat isn't he they say jesus he's massive, I think most people think that someone is strong if they look like a bodybuilder. I've been lean in the past and still was very thick waisted etc.

I could never look like a bodybuilder even if I wanted too (which I don't) as I said on that other site with waist and hips as wide as mine I'd have to have shoulders about six foot wide.

On TV I think you look massive as well.
You have quite an impressive physical stature ....
Not many men in the world today or even thruought time, have been as massive as you ar even nearly as strong. A true modern day Samson!!!

So congrats on your progress mate, I look forward to seeing you do well!!!

[POWERJIM]

Originally Posted by BiggerGuns=LongerDrives

On TV I think you look massive as well.
You have quite an impressive physical stature ....
Not many men in the world today or even thruought time, have been as massive as you ar even nearly as strong. A true modern day Samson!!!

So congrats on your progress mate, I look forward to seeing you do well!!!

Dominic Filiou is a huge lad like Terry but hasnt got half as much passion by the looks of it, real shame too cos Dominic Filiou could be one of the greats if he got his head together.

[Terry_hollands]

Originally Posted by POWERJIM

Its very unfair and unsportsman like for someone whos also competing to choose events, how come Glenn Ross is allowed to do this anyway Terry?

It's basically because we have no real structure in place in the UK! I could start a comp this year called British Championships of Strongman and that would be okay.

As far as WSM is concerned BSM is the only real national title and the UK's is basically just Glenns own competition.

[Stoneman Sam]

Originally Posted by Terry_hollands

I've not been competing very long so I thought it was more important to get experience from comps than spending loads of time practising the events.

Don't take this the wrong way, but if you haven't been in the game for only 20 months, how did you get noticed by TWI?

I wondered this about Kevin Nee as well. How do they find you guys?

[Terry_hollands]

Originally Posted by POWERJIM

Dominic Filiou is a huge lad like Terry but hasnt got half as much passion by the looks of it, real shame too cos Dominic Filiou could be one of the greats if he got his head together.

One thing about Dominic is he is painfully shy, he really suffers with crowds sometimes. If he turns up and his head is in the right place he's unbelievably strong!!

I do agree he could be one of the greats but with his shyness it's very difficult for him. You can see him go into his shell sometimes and theres noway of him snapping out of it.

[POWERJIM]

Originally Posted by Terry_hollands

One thing about Dominic is he is painfully shy, he really suffers with crowds sometimes. If he turns up and his head is in the right place he's unbelievably strong!!

I do agree he could be one of the greats but with his shyness it's very difficult for him. You can see him go into his shell sometimes and theres noway of him snapping out of it.

I thought it might be some kind of Severe shyness his suffering from, damn shame however maybe with time he will learn to deal with his shyness.

[Terry_hollands]

Originally Posted by Stoneman Sam

Don't take this the wrong way, but if you haven't been in the game for only 20 months, how did you get noticed by TWI?

I just got lucky there was a space left at WSM in 2005, I won the UK's and word got to the right people.

I was very lucky to get the spot but they needed another Brit and they thought they might as well give me a shot

As far as Dominic is concerned I do think he will overcome it eventually. I myself am a very shy person and have had to overcome that as well. I think it does get easier with time. I get some quite weird reactions when people see me so I can only imagine what he gets, he is absolutly HUGE but is a really nice guy with it I remeber after the barrel loading through the water he was the first person to come up and congratulate me.

[POWERJIM]

Originally Posted by Terry_hollands

I just got lucky there was a space left at WSM in 2005, I won the UK's and word got to the right people.

I was very lucky to get the spot but they needed another Brit and they thought they might as well give me a shot

As far as Dominic is concerned I do think he will overcome it eventually. I myself am a very shy person and have had to overcome that as well. I think it does get easier with time. I get some quite weird reactions when people see me so I can only imagine what he ge